Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

An earlier Steve Solomon book helped me greatly as a gardener and, after buying this one, I enjoyed delving deeply into soil science and even spent days building a spreadsheet to translate soil testing results into soil-amendment recommendations using the information in this book. I am sad to report that, in the end, I learned that the soil re-mineralization theory propounded in this book has no real basis in evidence and has in fact been disproved by scientific experiment over the years. The worst part is that nowhere in this book does Mr. Solomon even hint that there is any controversy about his theories, any evidence about them, or any alternative approach. This is fundamentally dishonest, and I have changed my rating based on what I learned. I already knew, based on my long career in medical research, that his health claim that "nutrient-dense" food will prevent and cure all diseases (yup, he actually says that) had to be bogus. What I did not realize was that their claims about soil fertility and its effects on plants are equally unfounded and undocumented. There is a real need for an engaging book that transmits knowledge about soils and soil improvement for avid gardeners and small farmers, especially organic growers, based on real scientific evidence. Sad to say, this ain't it.